Stanley, Tasmania

Stanley is the second largest settlement west of Wynyard on the northern coast. It is part of the Circular Head Municipality. Smithton is the main business area of this Municipality. Stanley’s iconic ‘Nut’, a volcanic plug rising 150 metres (492 feet), likened to an enormous Christmas cake by explorers Bass and Flinders.

Stanley has a population of 450. Its main industries are fishing and tourism.

For an aerobic workout Stanley-style – or to walk off the town’s speciality (fish and chips) – you can climb a winding path to the windblown plateau of the Nut. Alternatively, take the chairlift to appreciate the uninterrupted views of Bass Strait.

This is a great place for guided tours. The Tarkine Wilderness Area, to the south, has gained international recognition for its temperate rainforest, and you can travel there by four-wheel-drive with guides who know the area intimately.

Closer to Stanley, brave Highfield Historic Site to learn how the area’s first European settlers lived. Historic tours are also offered through Stanley’s streets, lined with stone cottages dating back to the town’s settlement.

Stanley is a good base to stay and explore the wilderness areas and take a wildlife tour.

Seal-spotting cruises and penguin watching at the foot of the Nut are a must. There are bushwalks in nearby Rocky Cape National Park. Tours of Woolnorth are popular – the historic property, still operated under its original Van Diemen’s Land Company charter, also has modern influences, including a large, productive wind farm.

Stanley was discovered by Bass and Flinders in 1798 and was named after the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Stanley.

The first telephone transmission from Tasmania to mainland Australia was made in 1936 from Stanley. The town was also the birthplace of Joseph Lyons, currently the only Tasmanian to ever hold the office of prime minister.

Stanley has an average maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 12.5 degrees Celsius (54.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

Stanley is an hour’s drive west of Burnie on the A2. Head for the Nut – you can see it long before you reach the town.